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CREATED:20120920T194600Z
DESCRIPTION:Syngenta's Atrazine herbicide is found in 94% of U.S. drinking water. 
 \n\nHealth harms: Human exposure to atrazine is linked to a number of 
 serious health effects. A potent endocrine disrupter, atrazine interferes 
 with hormonal activity of animals and humans at extremely low 
 doses.\n\nEndocrine Disruption: The science on atrazine's effects on the 
 hormone system continues to grow. It alters the levels of key hormones in 
 rats and can delay puberty. In male frogs, exposure to atrazine causes a 
 kind of "chemical castration," causing them to develop female sex 
 characteristics. Researchers hypothesize that atrazine singnals the 
 conversion of testosterone to estrogen, demasculinizing the 
 frogs.\n\nReproductive Effects: Because atrazine disrupts hormones, it's 
 not surprising that epidemiological studies find associations between 
 exposure to the herbicide and reproductive effects including increased risk 
 of miscarriage, reduced male fertility, low birth weight, increased chance 
 of any birth defect, and higher incidence of abdominal defects;\n\nCancer: 
 Evidence for the carcinogenic potential of atrazine is growing — exposure 
 has been linked to elevated risk of breast and prostate cancer. The recent 
 President's Cancel Panel Report notes that atrazine has possible 
 carcinogenic properties. In response to concerns, U.S. EPA is currently 
 re-evaluating atrazine's carcinogenic potential.\n\nTiming of exposure may 
 be more important than exposure levels. Research shows that low levels of 
 exposure during key periods of pregnancy may interfere with healthy fetal 
 development. The third trimester of pregnancy appears to be most critical, 
 says a recent epidemiological study.  Synergystic effects between atrazine 
 and other pesticides may also render health harms more severe.\nAtrazine in 
 drinking water\n\nAtrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides in the 
 U.S., and is found in 94% of U.S drinking water tested by the USDA — more 
 often than any other pesticide. An estimated 7 million people were exposed 
 to atrazine in their drinking water between 1998 and 2003.\n\nThe highest 
 levels of contamination are in the Midwest where it is widely used on corn 
 fields. USGS monitoring shows drinking water concentrations typically spike 
 during the spring and early summer as rains flush the freshly applied 
 herbicide into streams — and into local water supplies.\n\nData from the 
 EPA's Atrazine Monitoring Program show that atrazine levels in drinking 
 water can spike above the legal limit of 3 parts per billion in some U.S. 
 water supplies. Although the EPA bases its limit on an annual average (not 
 seasonal peaks), the monitoring results reveal alarming levels of human 
 exposure.\n\nAccording to NRDC's 2010 analysis of the most recent EPA data, 
 drinking water in 67 public systems had peak atrazine levels above 3 parts 
 per billion (ppb), with one as high as 60 ppb in Ohio. Six water systems 
 had average annual atrazine concentrations that exceeded the EPA limit 
 entirely. And these figures are for treated drinking water — raw water 
 samples contained even higher concentrations. (See also NRDC's 2009 
 Poisoning the Well)\n\nAtrazine & the environment\nExposure to atrazine 
 does not kill right away. For sensitive species however, atrazine's 
 sublethal effects can be almost as devestating.\n\nFish and amphibians are 
 most vulnerable. A growing body of research shows that atrazine 
 exposure--even to trace levels of the herbicide--can adversely impact a 
 number of species. Tyrone Hayes and other scientists have conducted 
 research to show that exposing frogs to as little as 0.1 parts per billion 
 can cause severe health effects, including a kind of chemical castration. 
 Atrazine exposure from contaminated surface water is also known to 
 compromise fish and amphibian growth, behavior, immune function, and 
 gonadal development. Hayes recently found that 10% of male frogs reared in 
 atrazine laced water turned completely into females. Strikingly, the level 
 of atrazine used in the study — 2.5 ppb — is less than the EPA limit 
 for drinking water contamination.\nFarming without atrazine\n\nThere are 
 many viable ways of producing corn and growing food without relying on 
 atrazine. According to recent analyses, dropping atrazine would result in 
 yield losses of less than 1%, much lower than industry 
 estimates.\n\nFarmers in states like Minnesota are using innovative 
 production systems to raise corn without atrazine. Since Germany and Italy 
 banned atrazine in 1991, corn yields and acres of corn harvested have gone 
 up, rather than down. Farm organizations such as the Land Stewardship 
 Project have documented many ways to reduce and eliminate the use of 
 atrazine in corn production.\n\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/09/20/18722106.php
SUMMARY:Biojustice Protest At Syngenta In Gilroy
LOCATION:Syngenta Flowers \n2280 Hecker Pass Highway\nGilroy, CA 95020
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/09/20/18722106.php
DTSTART:20120921T160000Z
DTEND:20120922T000000Z
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